A few players already made easy calls to opt in.
Bismack Biyombo might had the most obvious choice yet.
Shams Charania of The Athletic:
Charlotte Hornets center Bismack Biyombo has exercised his $17M player option for 2019-20 season, league sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 16, 2019
Kemba Walker and the Hornets have big decisions to make about each other – especially if Walker makes an All-NBA team and qualifies for a super-max contract. Charlotte has called re-signing the star guard a top priority, but it won’t be easy. He’ll be an unrestricted free agent and courted by better teams. The Hornets are capped out and would have a tough time upgrading the roster around Walker.
If Walker re-signs, especially for the super-max, Charlotte could stretch Biyombo to get breathing room under the luxury tax. That would mean incurring a $5,666,667 cap hit each of the next three seasons.
But that’d make it even harder to escape this mess down the road.
And Hornets could also use Biyombo at center now. Cody Zeller can’t stay healthy. Frank Kaminsky and Willy Hernangomez are defensive liabilities, and Kaminsky is a free agent himself. Biyombo’s defense adds value at a position Charlotte needs depth.
However, replacement level at center is very high (part of the reason Biyombo is so overpaid relative to his production). The Hornets could sign another effective backup center far cheaper.
At least whatever the Hornets decide, Biyombo will get this money.
